Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-03-16
THREE YANKEE CATS.
One Hunts Squirrels, Another Partridges,
and One Is 1S Years Old.

One Hunts Squirrels, Another Partridges,
| and One Is 1S Years Old.
The Connecticut cat, says Norwich
correspondent of the New York Satfl, is
| attending mainly to routine business
this year, but here and there is one
that shows trace of genius MIR.
Amos E. Cobb, of this town, has re-
markable young cat. It ignores mice
entirely. 1t will have nothing but red
squirrels. It goes out into the woods
each morning and catches one red
squirrel. One squirrel lasts for a whole
days meals. The headquarters serve
for breakfast, the fore-quarters for din
ner, and the cat tapers off her appetite
by picking the hide and head for sup
per. 1t is hard work to catch a red
squirrel mapping, and the cat realizes
that one squirrel must go a long way.
She brings all her catches to the house,
and the back yard is strewn with red
squirrel skins turned wrong side out,
Mr.. Cobb has in his veranda lot Of
wire cages, all communicating with each
other, and each provided with play
wheels, and in the cages sixteen SPUR
rels which he has caught in traps. The
cat often sits for an hour near the
cages with her eyes closed and with a
very benevolent expression on her face,
and accidentally she let's her paw fall
inside the wire for the squirrels to play
with. Pooling with that sleepy paw
has nearly cost three squirrels their
lives. She has not got one of the wired
squirrels yet, but she has hope, and
spends an hour each day before the
cages.
Arthur Keller, of Preston, has cat
that catches cartridges. She gets about
one week. When she cannot catch q
partridge, mice, birds, ground-moles,
and rats are good enough for her. Now
and then she takes big flying grass
| hoppers, and flies off window pane
1t is worth the price of ticket to q
dime museum, Mr.. Keller thinks, to see
his cat chase flying grasshopper. The
grasshopper starts off, flushed with
| hope, and with satirical futter and
buzz that manifests its opinion of a
thing on legs trying to run down a
thing that has both legs and wings.
The grasshopper sails away in side
long direction about dozen rods and
pumps down in the grass with why
|
shat the grasshopper can take that little
skip not less than twenty-five or thirty
times and not get tired, but rather en-
joys it. The cat, however, means bust.
ness, and, with tail erect and claws out
spread, is at the first station almost as
soon as the grasshopper has alighted.
The grasshopper has to get up again
and be off with an alacrity that takes
its breath away, and before it has taken
half dozen flights it is very sur
prised and serious-looking grasshopper
that blindly dashes in zigzag way be-
fore the pursuing cat. At the end of
the sixth or seventh inning the cat
generally nails her prey to the ground
in the stubble. A fat flying grass
hopper makes dainty lunch for cat.
Rhode Island cats are noted for
longevity. In other States cats that are
not chewed up by other cats die of old
age before they are 10years old. They
stay out too late at night on fences and
shed-roofs at the expense of their emo
tional natures, and their vitality is early
exhausted Rhode Island cats are less
frivolous. They keep their heads cool
and do not overwork themselves at
night. Henry Cliff, In that State, owns
cat that is 18years old, and her facul-
ties are all perfect Age has etched
her whiskers' ends and the fringe of
fur along her sides with peculiar de-
signs in pink, hence Mr.. Cliff calls her
"Pinkey." In other respects she is in
normal feline condition. Mr.. Cliff
takes excellent care of this cat and does
not require that she shall earn her own
living. She lives on the fat of his
larder, and takes only one stroll around
the house daily for exercise. She
scorns mice and all other cheap, coarse
food. A mouse might run between her
| feet and she would not take the trouble
to step on him. All she has to do is to
sit on the yeranda, close her eyes, and
look wise. Mr.. Cliff hopes to keep he,
alive until she is 20 years old It is be-
ieved that Pinkey is the Oldest cat in
| Rhode Island